Of monsters and friends
by shiroxx
Summary: He had a friend, and what were friends for, after all? 1827 (can be interpreted as friendship)


**A/N: **Hah... looks like I'm back! Thanks to all favouriters/followers/reviewers of my other 2 stories! Love you all :D

Anyway, this one has a little background (and it leans away from the fluff side), which is that Hibari and Tsuna have already met and acknowledged one another. (Hibari categorises Tsuna as an 'omnivore'.)

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHR!

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"Tsunayoshi."

The little brunet heard a familiar voice, but he didn't want to face the skylark now, didn't want to show him how weak he was at that moment.

Hibari hated weakness. Hibari would hate him, too.

He wouldn't be able to stand that.

Curling up into himself further, he tried to stifle his sobs and steady his voice.

"Go away, Hibari."

The black-haired boy would never admit it, but his heart clenched for a moment when he heard that muffled sentence. He had thought… Tsunayoshi might have wanted his company.

Nevertheless, he didn't move an inch. He would _not _obey an omnivore. _(He would never leave Tsunayoshi in the state that he's in.)_

"Go away, Hibari," the curled-up ball on the ground repeated, but it was less strong now, the tone less firm, as though the brunet didn't have the energy anymore to keep up the pretense.

"I won't."

The head of chocolate brown hair quivered, but made no move to respond.

Hibari was getting annoyed. The Tsunayoshi he knew wasn't so… herbivorous. He got up when he fell, stood for the things he believed in, didn't let anyone affect him. And he knew enough to trust the skylark.

Scowling, Hibari tried to ignore the sour taste in his mouth when a small voice in his head said _maybe_ _he doesn't trust me, _and demanded, "Tell me what's wrong right now, herbivore."

Herbivore. Yes, he was only an _herbivore now. _Tsuna chuckled bitterly. He was so weak, sitting on the blood-splattered ground with his face buried in the small, dark space between his knees and his chest, a ball of shattered pride and silent desperation. He was just an herbivore now.

He wanted – something. He didn't know what it was, but his heart throbbed and hurt without it, his world colored only by streaks of black and gray. He was too weak to hold on to it, wasn't he?

Shimmering tears dripped onto his shirt as he tried to clutch on to that _something_ he wanted, but he could feel it slipping through his fingers, mocking him, laughing at him, saying _you will never have me, __**freak**_.

He couldn't help it as a small sob clawed its way out of his throat and tore free from his vocal cords. _Monster, _that's what the bullies had called him. _Freak of nature, _because those pure orange flames – flames he used to think were absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful – had flared up when he was backed into a corner, shooting forward and licking at the bullies' feet.

They had stumbled back and ran away with their eyes opened wide and fists trembling by their sides, screaming _'M-monster, you're a monster! W-why don't you just die already?!' _

Normally, it should have affected Tsuna less than it did. He should have been used to bullying. Used to hearing them telling him to kill himself. But he had never heard the term _monster. _He hadn't been a freak, just unbearably useless. An easy target.

And he could convince himself that he was strong, that his life had worth, but this time round, he couldn't tell himself that they were lying.

Because then _he _would be lying.

"_Monster_," he whispered into the little dark space – the only place that felt like his. "_Am I a monster?_"

As soon as the question left his mouth, dread filled his being. He knew the answer. _Of course. _He didn't need anyone to confirm it for him. _Who was he asking, anyway? _He had no one; not an aberration like him.

But Hibari had caught that question. Just barely, but he had heard the haunted tone, the quiet mumble. He didn't know why those five words could make him so angry, or why his heart felt like it was being stabbed by a million knives.

And yet, he knew the answer.

Stepping closer, he bent down and placed an unnaturally gentle hand on the brunet's head.

"You are."

Underneath his palm, he felt the boy stiffen, before his shoulders suddenly began shaking.

"_Of course._" A half-hysterical laugh. "_Of course I am."_

He could feel the last shreds of _something _finally freeing itself from his fingers, and suddenly, the little dark space wasn't so comforting anymore. It was frightening, because it was _his. _He truly was a freak, wasn't he?

"You are a monster. But that is the reason why we are…" The skylark paused, looking away, up at the slate-colored sky and the heavy gray clouds swirling high, high above.

"…friends."

Tsuna froze, the single word ringing through his mind like the toll of a church bell. _Friends. _They were… _friends._

"You are a monster."

The silence was pregnant, and the brunet could feel his heart catch in his chest, dangling by a single thread.

"But so am I."

It was like a layer of darkness had been lifted, and he could suddenly see the world clearly, in bright, beautiful colors. He realized then that the _something _he wantedhad been simple, simple beyond belief – _hope._

And now, it was burning bright like a candle, the flame a pure, undiluted orange. The wind blew at it, but there were strong, solid hands surrounding it now, promising to always, _always, _protect it.

Tsuna had been falling, expecting to crash into the cold, sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff – even closed his eyes and _waited _for the impact – but instead, someone had caught him. Strong arms had closed around him, and he had never felt so perfectly safe and warm before.

No matter how far he fell, there would always be someone to back him up in the darkest and most hopeless of times. No matter _what _he was – a monster, a freak, an aberration – he would never be alone.

He tried to wipe the tears out of his eyes, but they refused to stop flowing down his cheeks, tracing the curve of his smiling lips, salty on the tip of his tongue.

Finally, he gave up and simply turned around. He felt a smile light up his face – his truest smile, given to him by his first and only friend – and his heart felt light as a feather, an unlimited supply of happiness and contentment pumping his blood through his veins.

"Thank you, Kyoya." His head tilted to the side, innocence once again returning to his warm caramel eyes.

The black-haired boy lifted a hand and caught the next tear that fell, a light blush dusting his cheeks. He looked away again, before turning back with a scowl.

"Don't cry, Tsunayoshi."

The brunet grinned.

"I won't," he promised.

_Not with you by my side. _


End file.
